Daily life in a South Dakota town during the Great Depression, shot by Ivan Besse.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Besse (Ivan)
Sponsor: N/A
Audio/Visual: Si, B&W
Keywords: Amateur films; Home movies; South Dakota: Everyday life

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: ERD. - - January 2, 2010
Subject: Lots to see in Part IV of the late 1930's film on Britton,S.D.
In Part IV, of Mr. Britton's late 1930's film of his town,Britton, S.D, I enjoyed watching how the men cleared the road in town during a snow storm,the corn husking, the geese at the pond or lake, the cheerful school children being dismmised, and what looked to be a memorial day parade and the town's band.

Reviewer: MikeManners - - December 14, 2009
Subject: Ok Spazz...we get the point....
Spazz. Your review was funny. I get it. Br. Besse did not exactly have the most earth shattering things to film in mid 1930's South Dakota.

Hey. It was during the Depression. It was the 1930s. What did you expect?


For those of us Historically minded these series of home movies do give a glimpse of a life and world now long gone and very far away from what we are familiar with.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - December 27, 2005
Subject: Snow and Death!
We open this part with a ferccious snow storm! Woo-wee! The snow is really blowing here! They need 5 guys to load the truck with snow! I like the tow lines, though I wonder what kind of traction those tires had¡¦Awww!! Look at the kid looking outside!!! We then have more people scenes.. we then cut to ANOTHER corn husking competition it looks like¡¦ Someone brought his gun! BLAM! No idea what he just shot.. Anyways, the men sure like these corn husking contests.. Cash prizes! Woo! Then we get to see some ducks, no doubt scurrying away from all that gunfire.. After that more street life, men eating a a banana, people going to malt shops, people walking around, etc. Nothing really worth mentioning. From there, back to school! As we see kids leaving school for the day.. Not much posing here¡¦ And then we cut to ANOTHER parade! My god, how many parades can a small town have? This is the third reel in a row that had a parade in it!! Well now wait.. that was short¡¦ what¡¦ was that? Was that a military procession?? A funeral? Hmmm¡¦ Then we have a CLASSIC shot.. Men hanging around¡¦. The Undertaker¡¯s shop!!! So yeah, I think that WAS some sort of funeral procession..
Nice shot of the street.. More people watching.. Hmm.. wonder where they¡¯re coming out from? We then get a glimpse of the ¡®Britton Band¡¯. Yes, every member of them. Saxaphonist, double bass, Whoops that¡¯s it. From there, the band sits and poses for us in the most bored-like state possible. And if that wasn¡¯t good enough for you, Besse does it AGAIN.. ZZzzzz¡¦ We finally get back to more street shots! Yay! These had young and old, including a few dogs. Not bad.

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